* Continuing of my research for my presentation, I investigated about cultural norms.
According to THE HOFSTAGE CENTER WED SITE, I could know about each 6 cultural features in Japan. In this Blog, I chose 3 dimensions: Individualism, Masculinity, and Uncertainty avoidance
1. Individualism or collectivism
=The score is 46, which is less than half, so Japan is more collectivism than Individualism.
-I could say there is the tendency that Asia is likely to be Collectivism. Why is the area related to difference of Individualism or collectivism? I would say this is because this norm depends on family oriented so much. Of course, there are some difference among same areas but there are also common sense in the basis of family forms. Asian countries are sharing common sense about "extended family system". So South Korea and China, which have a lot of connection with Japan, are famous about collectivism countries as well. I want to show an example about Japanese collectivism.This is from WEB SITE and this survey was done as a high school's class activity in 2005.
Question: How can you be happy?
1) Unique 2) Competitive 3)Corporative 4) Honest
1)By getting many good statuses in school or in the community
2)By having many good relationships with friends
3)By keeping your privacy
4)By winning the competition with others
- Also I think the consideration that they are saying inside this page is interesting. One thing that I agree with them is that "Generally speaking, it is said that the society in which people make a living in agriculture has values collectivism". As I said, there is a tendency that Asia is collectivism society and I can say one common thing is that traditionally agriculture is center of people's lives. To take care of farms, people should divide works and cooperate with members. This is for living, which means they had to do for survive, so I think this is good examination that agriculture is one of roots for Asian collectivism.
-However, Japan is not as collectivism as most of Asian neighbors. There are some explanation about this reality, which are on the page of THE HOFSTAGE CENTER, one of points showed in it is company loyalty. Definitely, in Japan, getting great job means success in life. I think this is not too much saying, actually job haunting is called like a war. Of course, we are free to choose job so it shows the evidence of less collectivism than other Asia areas.
-Throughout some research about individualism or collectivism, now I really agree with the score of 46. Japan is still strict about family or group harmony but has also the aspect of individualism. Especially, people think company loyalty as important things and it leads this result.
2. Masculinity
=The score is 95, Japan is one of the strongest Masculinity country.
-I can understand it feels like a contradiction with Collectivism. So did I. However now I can tell Japan is actually strong Masculinity country after seeing the explanation in THE HOSFTAGE CENTER. It says there is a difference about idea of competitive between Japan and other countries. In Japan, competition means not individual one, rather group one. Actually the education system includes the thought of group competition, traditionally. Almost every elementary school, junior high school, and high school have traditional competition events every year. These are, for instance, sports competition, choral competition, or long-distance relay road race. And every events are competition between school classes. Students are taught how important to work hard in order to win and award for their classes. My efforts is not for myself's victory, but for my group's success. This idea leads strong competitive society in Japan. In fact, I have a strong feeling about triumph, which is not just for my self, rather for my family, some group members, or my community.
-I found some elements of strong Masculinity countries at business scene
. To succeed in this culture you will be expected to make sacrifices in the form of longer work hours, shorter holidays and possibly more travel.
. Be aware that people will discuss business anytime, even at social gatherings.
. Avoid asking personal questions in business situations. Your colleagues or prospective partners will probably want to get straight to business.
. People are not always interested in developing closer friendships.
. Communication style that is direct, concise and unemotional will be most effective in this environment.
. People will use professional identity, rather than family or contacts, to assess others.
. Self-promotion is an acceptable part of the business culture in this competitive environment.
-It is so interesting for me, because this is quite real in Japanese business world. Japanese business men/women are called "workaholic", which means their lives are dominated by work a lot, and it describes how people spend many times at work and work hard with sacrificing their leisure time. Now I cannot understand the reason why people work so hard that they cannot have much time out of work, but maybe I will be this kind of person in the future if I obey social flow because it is the life style in the strong masculinity country.
-For the conclusion this norm, I can say Japan is exactly strong Masculinity country. People are educated to compete with other groups by cooperating with own group members, which shows both aspects of collectivism and masculinity. Especially in business world, people think it of course that they are working hard for success of own companies, not just for themselves. For their groups' success, they don't mind making a lot of efforts, even if they lost their leisure times. These thoughts connect with the strong competition society in Japan.
3. Uncertainty Avoidance
=Japanese score about this norm is 92, which is one of the most highest country on earth.
- I can predict this result because it is so scary without certainty that people tend to avoid it naturally as human beings. But of course there are some difference of scores depends on countries. I read the explanation in THE HOFSTAGE CENTER, I was persuaded that why I, as one of Japanese people, tend to avoid uncertainty. The big cause for Japanese people to avoid unpredictable things is that people are constantly threatened by nature disasters from earth quicks, tsunamis, typhoons to volcano eruptions. Japan is famous for many nature disasters, and actually many people experienced some huge accidents. For example, I have experienced Eastern Japan Earthquake in 2011. It was so scary, which is not enough to tell just in words, that I felt like Japan would totally break off. After this disaster, each house were preparing some prevention of damage tools for in case that another one would come again. I think there is no more scary things than I cannot expect. Once I can know something would come, I can prepare fully not to heart myself or what is around me. This idea is nearly common sense all over the world, but especially in Japan, people have actual experience so they are more sensitive about uncertainty.
-I chose educational scene as an example of showing Uncertainty avoidance in Japan.
This shows how student and teacher tend to act in classroom in the society of uncertainty avoidance.
1.students feel comfortable in structured
learning situations: precise objectives,
detailed assignments, strict timetables
2.teachers are expected to have all the answers
3.a good teacher uses academic language
4.students are rewarded for accuracy in problem solving
5.teachers are allowed to behave emotionally (and so are students)
6.teachers interpret intellectual disagreement as personal disloyalty
7.teachers consider themselves experts who cannot learn anything from lay parents – and parents agree
-I can say this is actual Japanese educational situation. We are always desired well prepared before classes. If student doesn't prepared, this is him/her fault and it means starting collapse for him/her future. Japanese people think career in business as one of preference things in life and education from elementary school to university is everything for getting good job, and this also shows how people expect their future. We are sometimes said to Perfectionism as Japanese character, and then this is because we are always seeking perfection about any things in order not to see uncertainty.
-Japanese people had no way not to be uncertainty avoidance because of their unstable circumstances and naturally they became to avoiding unexpected things. Also educational system makes students well prepared people about everything. People are taught like that way and they just obey this flow, of course without recognizing.
Throughout 3 dimensions and another result on THE HOSTAGE CENTER, I can understand Japanese national characteristics and also I have some actual experiences which are said in explanation parts. I think one of the biggest influence is Traditional Education system. It can be same things all over the world because people get and make identities through education. I want to research more about relationship between education and media.
2.teachers are expected to have all the answers
3.a good teacher uses academic language
4.students are rewarded for accuracy in problem solving
5.teachers are allowed to behave emotionally (and so are students)
6.teachers interpret intellectual disagreement as personal disloyalty
7.teachers consider themselves experts who cannot learn anything from lay parents – and parents agree
-I can say this is actual Japanese educational situation. We are always desired well prepared before classes. If student doesn't prepared, this is him/her fault and it means starting collapse for him/her future. Japanese people think career in business as one of preference things in life and education from elementary school to university is everything for getting good job, and this also shows how people expect their future. We are sometimes said to Perfectionism as Japanese character, and then this is because we are always seeking perfection about any things in order not to see uncertainty.
-Japanese people had no way not to be uncertainty avoidance because of their unstable circumstances and naturally they became to avoiding unexpected things. Also educational system makes students well prepared people about everything. People are taught like that way and they just obey this flow, of course without recognizing.
Throughout 3 dimensions and another result on THE HOSTAGE CENTER, I can understand Japanese national characteristics and also I have some actual experiences which are said in explanation parts. I think one of the biggest influence is Traditional Education system. It can be same things all over the world because people get and make identities through education. I want to research more about relationship between education and media.
